PM Magnitude – 1 for 10 or 10 for 1?

By: Collin Quiring

Why is it that so many companies will honor and consider a Project Manager as one of the leaders of their PM organization when they have one large project?One Project Manager is given a ten million dollar project and they are held in great esteem.And, perhaps they should be – they are running a large project, or perhaps a “company changing” project, or “the next big thing” for a company, or, it may just be a run-of-the-mill large project for a multinational company.They deserve recognition for being able to manage something of that magnitude.

Why is it, then, that the same companies will often have multiple “small” projects given to a “junior” Project Manager and not realize the value or magnitude of “company changing” projects that one Project Manager is controlling?One Project Manager, given ten projects at one million each will have the same, or potentially greater, effect than the Project Manager that is controlling one large project.

My examples may be using larger dollar numbers than your company – but my point is that an organization needs to look at the magnitude of the projects that each Project Manager is administrating.One large project might not be as important as multiple smaller projects.

So, which is more important 1 for 10, or 10 for 1 (1 project for $10 million, or 10 projects at $1 million each)?